


remind me where i came from (and where i belong)

by dreamersball



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, AtLA, Canon Compliant, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/F, azula has ptsd, moving in, ty lee is the best, tyzula baby!!!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-22
Updated: 2020-09-22
Packaged: 2021-03-07 18:15:15
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,205
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26592016
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dreamersball/pseuds/dreamersball
Summary: azula wasn't always in the dark, but she was still so far from the light.established tyzula.
Relationships: Azula/Ty Lee (Avatar)
Comments: 10
Kudos: 90





	remind me where i came from (and where i belong)

**Author's Note:**

> inspired by halfa_sleep 's tyzula comic on instagram (dated august 18). please follow them, their work is amazing! and again, i own nothing.

——

ty lee woke up with a start. it was freezing in the bedroom, and it normally wasn’t. azula was practically a heater herself, always keeping ty lee warm when they slept. 

(probably because ty lee hung onto azula like a koala as well).

ty lee groggily felt the bed, trying to see if her girlfriend was sleeping on the other side. when she came up with just a fistful of silk sheet, she knew something was wrong. azula rarely left the bed in the middle of the night, not even to use the bathroom. the fire bender was a heavy sleeper, normally having to be poked awake by the early riser ty lee (breaking the fire bender and sun myth of course). 

the sleepy girl got out of bed, pulling on a pair of joggers and jamming her feet into her slippers. she looked like a fool, but according to the clock next to her side of the bed, it was three a.m. no one would see her.

ty lee puttered around the house, looking into each room. it wasn’t their official home yet, they were still moving into it. which is why she kept knocking into wayward boxes and smacked into bubble wrapped furniture.

as she peeked into the kitchen, she saw the makeshift junk drawer was open and askew. there were packets of matches, pencils, rubber bands, old gift cards strewn across the counter, as if someone had been feverishly searching through it.

upon closer inspection, ty lee noticed there was small white box hidden underneath the ripped up journal. she picked up the box, examining the white lotus logo on it. she smelled it, immediately dropping the box onto the counter with a small _thwack._

ty lee knew what azula was doing.

in her panic, she saw the screen door leading to the back porch was slightly ajar, the fingerprints on the glass window gleaming in the moonlight.

ty lee made a beeline for the door, jerking it open. 

she slammed it behind her, not caring if it was broken or not. she had to find her girlfriend. 

——

ty lee spotted her girlfriend sitting on the stoop underneath the cherry tree, her bare feet tapping anxiously against the concrete. her heart rate began to slow, thanking the stars for letting her find azula safe. she smiled in relief, and began to make her way over to the girl. 

as she walked over, she noticed the white stick in azula's left hand, her other hand snapping a small blue flame out of her pointer finger and thumb; all while confirming ty lee’s suspicions. her shoulders sagged slightly. 

cigarettes. 

azula only smoked when she saw her worst self. the part of herself that she had worked so hard to get over, the toxic, angry, horrible person she once was. it was the monster that was under azula’s bed, the fiend in her closet, the spirit leeching off her shadow.

(azula never told ty lee when she saw that monstrous part of herself, but ty lee knew when those golden eyes went distant, and her grip slack) 

(and when azula smoked to air out the wicked demon in the mirror) 

ty lee ran over to her girlfriend, kneeling down to her level. azula’s golden eyes were vacant, a single tear forming and sliding down her cheek. her lips were trembling as she took another drag, breathing shallowly. ty lee put a hand on her girlfriend's knee, trying to gently wake her out of her trance.

“azula”, she said softly, squeezing ever so slightly. 

the girl didn’t respond, instead breathing out a puff of smoke. ty lee stood up, gently cupping azula’s cheek with her right hand. the girl’s skin was ice cold 

“ _azula”,_ she spoke louder, forcing the girl to look up at her. 

azula’s eyes slowly looked up to meet ty lee’s, and the standing girl jolted back slightly, at the lifeless golden eyes staring up back at her.

ty lee leaned down (trying to discreetly reach for the cigarette), and softly murmured to her girlfriend. “you know i don’t like it when you smoke.”

azula’s eyes flickered with guilt. she retracted her hand from ty lee's, still gripping the cigarette. 

ty lee felt her heart tear a little at the dull-eyed girl in front of her. this wasn't her usual, angsty girlfriend. this was the monster in the mirror, wreaking havoc on azula. “what’s wrong, my love?”.

azula gulped, her dim eyes becoming alive with fear, with hurt, with anguish. ty lee saw her girlfriend's chest rise and fall faster, anxiety practically oozing out of her.

azula clawed at the concrete, scratching her bitten up nails. “i.. i saw her..” she muttered, rocking slightly.

the girl looked up again to ty lee’s eyes. “sh-she’s back”.

(ty lee’s heart tore a little more).

the girl gripped the concrete so hard, small beads of blood shown on her fingertips. she was gasping now for air, her eyes unfocused and terrified.

azula suddenly reached out with her left hand, gripping the hand still on her cheek. she whimpered, tears falling freely.

“ty lee.. i’m scared.. _please don’t let her get me_ ” the girl cried.

and as quickly the emotion came out of the girl, it stopped abruptly. azula stiffened, eyes glassy and wide open, in a daze of some sort.

(ty lee knew she was seeing herself, that awful version of herself from years ago. azula has gone in this trance before, and it took many years of therapy and hard work to get the girl ty lee gets to love today).

tears began to bubble up from ty lee, threatening to spill. but no, she wouldn’t let herself cry. she had to help her girlfriend.

she hugged her girlfriend tightly, gripping her with force to let azula know that _she was there for her._ the girl didn’t react to her touch, still in a trance. 

ty lee rubbed circles on the girls back, softly whispering.

_you’re not a monster._

_you’re not a monster._

_you’re not a monster._

_you’re not a monster._

she felt azula stiffen up around the sixth one, and ty lee knew she was actively listening again.

_you’re not a monster._

_you’re nothing like her._

azula sniffled, tears wetting ty lee’s hand. 

_the real you is caring._

_the real you is loved._

azula buried her face into ty lee’s shoulder, crying freely. 

_the real azula is stronger._

ty lee kept rubbing circles, sometimes changing rhythm, tapping three times. that was something the pair came up with to let azula know she was loved, and azula could let ty lee know how she felt about her as well. 

_i’m here azula._

_i always will be._

azula whimpered slightly, hugging her tighter. 

_i won’t let your monster come out again._

_i’m here for you._

azula tapped ty lee’s back gently

_one,_

_two,_

_three._

—-

the two stayed like that for awhile, until azula whispered _i’m fucking cold_ , and dragged ty lee back into the house. as the pair passed the kitchen, ty lee made a mental note to throw away the box of cigarettes in the junk drawer. 

it would be the last pack she would allow in their new home, their new fresh start. 

**Author's Note:**

> hello all! it has been awhile. I have recently had a terrible week, so writing has been hard. college is a drag! but, here is something i have been thinking about awhile, and the artist gave me permission to write about their comic. i hope you enjoyed and thank you for reading!


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